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LIFESTYLE/FEATURE SPECIAL EDITION OR SECTION All Daily Division SECOND PLACE: The Island Packet Back to School

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LIFESTYLE/FEATURE SPECIAL EDITION OR SECTION All Daily DivisionFIRST PLACE: The sky’s the limit High School Marching Band Preview 2012 Herald-JournalThe Sky’s the Limit

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E.A. RAMSAUR AWARD FOR EDITORIAL WRITING All Daily Division THE GREENVILLE NEWS EDITORIAL Yes, you owe that Amazon sales tax I gnorance of the law is Sometimes state states and why it has with a nexus, or physicalTHIRD PLACE: no longer an excuse when it comes to South Carolina residents paying sales tax on their online purchases, espe- cially when those pur- residents truly don’t understand that they should be paying these taxes, although any trip through the state income tax form will make it continued to resist such a law. Allowing online retail- ers to forgo collecting the states’ sales tax gives them a built-in compet- presence, in a state had to collect the sales tax. Therefore Walmart had to collect the tax on be- half of the states, but Amazon.com didn’t. And The Greenville News chases were made at clear that the payment is itive advantage in a those stores lining Main Amazon.com. Over the due. Also, popular tax country where shaving 6 Street and in the shop- past week or so, South software makes taxpay- percent or more off the ping malls, of course, Carolinians who bought ers aware of this obliga- bottom line makes a had to collect the tax that goods from the national tion as do tax accoun- difference when a cus- many states rely on online retailer have tants. tomer goes through the heavily. received notices in- And now, after heavy electronic checkout line. In South Carolina last Beth Padgett forming them of how debate revolved around Those online retailers year, Amazon almost much they spent in 2011 Amazon last year in are competing with walked away from build- and reminding them that South Carolina, any bricks-and-mortar stores ing a distribution center “A sale is not exempt excuse has gone out the in South Carolina and in Lexington County under state law because window. other states that are when the state House of it is made through the Amazon.com is, well, required to collect the Representatives initially Internet.” a giant when it comes to sales tax when someone refused to honor part of In short, if you had online retail sales. It is buys a book, a sweater, a deal cut by outgoing Gov. total sales ranging from the only top 10 web re- television or any other Mark Sanford that gave a few dollars to much, tailer that doesn’t collect goods. the online retailer an much more than that sales tax in most states Online retailers in exemption from having from Amazon last year, where it does business, many cases get away to collect the sales tax. you owe the state of according to Janet No- with not having to collect State legislators did South Carolina its 6 per- vack in a February 2011 those taxes although the the right thing and cre- cent sales tax on those article in Forbes titled customer still owes ated the exemption to purchases. The same “Are Amazon.com’s those taxes when they save jobs that this state standard also applies to Days of Tax Free Selling fill out their state income needs, but they also other online purchases, Numbered?” Except for tax. Some bricks-and- insisted that Amazon although many of them a few states, Amazon has mortar retailers even send South Carolina were taxed at the point refused to locate dis- have reported seeing shoppers an annual tally of purchase because tribution centers in customers come in to of all their purchases those online retailers — states that plan to re- check out certain big- and a reminder that they such as Walmart.com or quire it to collect sales ticket products and then may owe sales tax on Target.com — have a tax on purchases made leave so they can make them. That deal is why physical presence in our by residents of those the purchase from an those notices from Ama- state and many others. states. online retailer not re- zon.com have arrived in What’s on the line for It’s clear that sales quired to collect the email boxes in our state states throughout the tax laws haven’t caught sales tax. over the past few days. country isn’t chump up with the shopping The legal standard for Congress now is tak- change. South Carolina habits of many people. having to collect the ing seriously the need estimates that more than And it’s equally clear sales tax came out of a for federal legislation to $110 million is owed in that the Internet is no 1992 Supreme Court require all but the small- taxes on online pur- longer a novelty and thus ruling. This was at the est business to collect chases, but a meager $1 it no longer needs legal time most of us were just sales taxes on online million was collected last protection to allow it to getting acquainted with purchases. This law year. That is money that flourish. That argument, computers and few should be passed to cre- could be going for after all, is why Con- could imagine how in- ate a level playing field schools and other vital gress initially refused to tegrated they would and shore up the budgets services that is simply consider a federal law to become in our daily of state and local govern- not being paid into the require online retailers lives. The legal standard ments throughout the state treasury. to collect sales taxes for was that only companies country.

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E.A. RAMSAUR AWARD FOR EDITORIAL WRITING All Daily Division EDITORIALS Don’t choke off beach accessSECOND PLACE: S ome residents of the Isle of p.m., March through September. The Palms are trying to yank up the city would issue no more than 1,000. The Post and Courier welcome mat for non-residents who want to enjoy the beach. The beach that belongs to the public, that is. They don’t like so many people driving The law would take effect in 2013. And while it is reasonable for the Isle of Palms to regulate parking within its limits, a $65 season-long pass is out of to the island and parking along streets reach for many, and more than needed Elsa McDowell Stop dumping on us EDITORIALS near their houses. Public streets, that is. Some have planted shrubs or put up signs that limit parking on the shoulder of the road. The shoulder which is the by others who go to the beach once or twice a summer. There is one-day parking for $7 in the commercial area of the island, but that is public right of way, of course. a crowded area unsatisfactory to surfers I t’s almost too stupefying to believe: New zens’ health and quality of life than the dollars Some residents have legitimate beefs. and parents who must keep a clear view Jersey doesn’t want to expose its citizens that would come in as a result of allowing ra- Apparently some visitors help them- of their children. to 300 rail cars of nuclear-contaminated dioactive material to be dumped here. dirt. So it wants to dump it in South Caro- The Conservation Voters of South Carolina selves to residents’ water hoses and Folly Beach has issued high fines for lit- lina, where such things actually can happen have collected 528 signatures on a petition ask- leave litter on their lawns. Their private tering, drinking alcohol and disorderly — and they can happen at a low cost. ing Mrs. Templeton, legislators and Gov. Nikki property. conduct on the beach. It charges $1 an It isn’t enough that South Carolina allows two Haley to reject this “attempt to clean up New But at the time they purchased or rent- hour for parking in small off-street areas. other states to ship mountains of their waste to Jersey by soiling South Carolina.” us, increasing the size and number of landfills The petition says, “For too long, South Caro- ed property on the Isle of Palms, resi- Fines help cover the cost of cleanup and at the expense of our natural resources. Now lina has been used as the nation’s ‘pay toilet’ for dents knew, or should have known, that repair of beach paths. Those actions rec- there is a real possibility that 15,000 tons of that trash, nuclear waste and hazardous and infec- the beach is public and the public must ognize the necessity of keeping order in waste will be contaminated with radioactive, tious materials.” infectious materials. The nation’s nuclear reactor waste is stored have access to it. the beach community — while keeping Sen. Phil Leventis, D-Sumter, is justifiably in the South Carolina’s Savannah River Site. That doesn’t mean, of course, that in- the public beach available to the public. outraged. “Everyone — our governor and Landfills throughout the state are the deposi- appropriate or illegal behavior should Before imposing a fee that would ef- citizens alike — should shout, WIMBY: ‘Why tory for so much waste from out of state that be tolerated. Drunkenness, littering fectively limit public access, the Isle of in My Back Yard?’ ” he writes on today’s Com- they are commonly referred to as mega-dumps mentary page. now. Because they are often located in poor, and unsafe parking are problems for Palms should concentrate its efforts to It seems state law can be interpreted as allow- rural areas without a powerful political voice, residents and visitors alike. That’s what addressing inappropriate and illegal ing New Jersey to send the contaminated dirt like Marlboro, Williamsburg and Lee counties, the Isle of Palms Police Department can behavior by visitors. People who litter, to the Lee County dump near Bishopville, even concerned citizens at the grass-roots level are address. trespass and park in front of residents’ though it does not allow household chemicals continually fighting the powerful waste indus- like pesticides and solvents. Indeed, the S.C. try to protect the health of their environment What it means is that the city has to driveways should be stopped, just as peo- Department of Health and Environmental and community. accommodate safely people who want ple who bend or break laws to prevent Control initially approved the shipment of Make South Carolina business-friendly. to go to the beach for the day. They need the public from using the beach should nuke dirt. DHEC’s new director, Catherine Bring new jobs and new industry. Facilitate a place to park and an approach to the be stopped. Templeton, wisely withdrew that permission growth by seeing that government runs effi- and said the permit would have to be subject ciently. beach. There should be room on the Isle of to public comment. But don’t sacrifice the very things that make In February, the Isle of Palms Plan- Palms both for residents and visitors, Even better, DHEC’s regulations should very South Carolina appealing to citizens, prospec- ning Commission recommended a $65 and there is a salty sea breeze to take clearly ban radioactive material from solid mu- tive citizens and business owners. nicipal waste landfills. The Legislature and the If the waste is too hazardous for New Jersey, seasonal pass to park on streets outside the edge off when tensions over park- governor need to be more concerned about citi- it’s too hazardous for us. the commercial area from 10 a.m. to 5 ing build.

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E.A. RAMSAUR AWARD FOR EDITORIAL WRITING All Daily DivisionFIRST PLACE: The State Suspend judgment on dead-voters claims Cindi Ross F OR TWO weeks, support- on voter lists that made it look like est back and forth between the “the state offered no additional sup- ers of our state’s new voter people voted when they didn’t, peo- rookie DMV chief and the veteran porting documentation.” identification law crowed ple who cast absentee ballots early election director. In December, Mr. Should Ms. Andino have warned Scoppe that they had been vindi- cated by the announcement by Gov. Nikki Haley’s Department of Mo- tor Vehicles director that nearly and then died before Election Day, a Sr. listed as voting when in fact it was a Jr. Does this mean there was no Shwedo had said that Ms. Andino ignored his warnings that the num- ber of voters who don’t have a driv- er’s license was inflated; she fired the Justice Department of Mr. Shwedo’s concerns? Probably. Should Mr. Shwedo have discussed his apparent dead-people finding 1,000 dead people had cast ballots. fraud? Unfortunately not, and Ms. back that he had taken liberties in with Ms. Andino before he threw It was an extraordinary, and deeply Andino and SLED need to continue matching nearly identical names around claims about illegal voting? disturbing, claim that finally their reviews, because with so ma- on the voting and driver’s license Certainly. seemed to provide the evidence ny DMV records suggesting people lists. We hope Ms. Andino’s testimony supporters had never bothered to died before ballots were cast in His dead-voters claim was a re- will cause politicians and voters to present that we need such a law. their names, it seems quite possible buttal to her rebuttal, and it was as suspend judgment until the investi- Or not. that there’s at least a little fire be- short on details as it was long on gations are completed. We hope It turns out that at least some of hind all that smoke. drama. Were the votes cast in per- likewise that Mr. Shwedo and Ms. those people weren’t really dead, What it means is that we son, which would support the need Andino will find a way to work co- and some of them didn’t vote. We shouldn’t be so quick to accept for tougher voter ID requirements, operatively to sort out the numbers. don’t know how many, because those claims that confirm our pre- or by mail, which would call for a If people have been casting bal- Kevin Shwedo hadn’t provided conceived notions — particularly different remedy? How many elec- lots in the names of dead people, we Election Commission Director when there are so many red flags. tions were covered? Had Mr. Shwe- need to find out who they were, and Marci Andino with his list by the Cynics (and Democrats) say Mr. do been more careful in matching prosecute them if we can, and how time she took her turn before a Shwedo’s headline-grabbing claim the names this time? they did it, and correct any short- House subcommittee last week. was just a bit too convenient, com- Mr Shwedo said it wasn’t his job comings in our law that allowed But she said that she had found no ing just a day after his boss an- to answer those questions, and this to happen. And if it turns out indications of fraud among the 20 nounced plans to fight the U.S. Jus- there’s some truth to that, but it that this was all a big … misunder- names she received from the attor- tice Department over its refusal to should have reminded us that the standing, the politicians who ney general’s office, which appro- let the law take effect requiring vot- Justice Department dismissed his rushed to trumpet their alarmist priately ordered an investigation ers to present a S.C. driver’s license claim about inflated numbers of ID- rhetoric need to work every bit as based on Mr. Shwedo’s claim. What or federal identification in order to less voters because despite the fed- hard and as loudly to reassure the she found instead were stray marks cast a ballot. It also was just the lat- eral agency’s attempts to verify it, voters that they were wrong.

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NEWS HEADLINE WRITING Daily Under 20,000 DivisionSECOND PLACE: The Times and Democrat Dark night Carol Barker in Colorado VALUES MEALBrothers busted after pot goes postal By RICHARD WALKER a strong odor, Johnson said. “I asked ” T&D Staff Writer (one of the subjects) if he minded (opening the package). ” ROWESVILLE — A package ad- Claiming the package containeddressed to a Rowesville resident and shoes, the subject opened the box.intercepted by police resulted in two Inside the box, the officer discoveredmen being arrested on drug-related a plastic-wrapped block of what ap-charges Wednesday. peared to be marijuana which had Rowesville Police Chief Michael been covered in a scent-alteringThomas said police seized a wrapped agent.and scent-camouflaged package Thomas said while the investiga-containing more than two pounds tion was under way at the post office, Simpson Bowmanof marijuana at the Rowesville Post the other subject called the post of-Office. Thomas said the package was ﬁce multiple times to ﬁnd out if themailed from Texas. hearing. package had arrived. “It’s not common but it has taken Thomas said Sgt. Ronald Johnson “He took a ride as well, Thomas ”place, the police chief said. ” was conducting a community policing said. Michael Simpson, 40, and Wood- effort of making contact with busi- The two pounds of marijuana isrow Bowman, 35, brothers who live at ness owners rather than the cursory not enough to get federal authori- LARRY HARDY/T&D101 Spring Street in Rowesville, were ride-by when he stopped at the Row- ties involved. But authorities on the Rowesville Police Chief Michael Thomas, left, and Sgt. Ronaldarrested on charges of possession esville Post Office at around 9 a.m. other end of the shipment in McAl- Johnson intercepted more than two pounds of marijuana discoveredwith intent to distribute marijuana. and talked with the postmaster. len, Texas have been notiﬁed and in a package addressed to a Rowesville resident. The pot was found The two men are expected to ap- “She said she had a package for a after the Rowesville postmaster alerted Johnson to “a strong odor”pear in court Thursday for a bond subject, and she said it smelled ... like See POT, A3 emanating from the package. LARRY HARDY/T&D Three rows of vehicles queued up at the Orangeburg Chick-fil-A drive-thru on Wednesday afternoon. The day was declared “Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day” by former Arkansas governor and Baptist minister Mike Huckabee. Chick-ﬁl-A customers ﬂock to support CEO’s traditional marriage stand

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NEWS HEADLINE WRITING Daily Under 20,000 DivisionFIRST PLACE: NO PANE, The Times and Democrat NO GAIN City still hoping GENE CRIDER/T&D Broken windows line the Middleton Street side of the old E-Mart Building, which is situated on Orangeburg’s Memorial Plaza. It was purchased for $5 in December. Wendy Jeffcoat Crider y g y g /g y for change after old E-Mart building sold By GENE ZALESKI T&D Staff Writer Smoke and ﬁre Yellow caution tape cordons off the Mid- dleton Street sidewalk along the former E- Mart store, marking the location where glass and other debris from the building once lit- tered the sidewalk. City crews have cleaned up the mess, but the yellow caution tape remains at the site. Downtown Orangeburg Revitalization Cordova residence destroyed by blaze Association Executive Director Bernice Tribble called it a shame. “I am disappointed that we have not been able to have it restored at the time when it was still possible. I am not sure it is possible to save the building now, she said. ” By RICHARD WALKER ﬁve minutes of being called but the Southwest Circle was on ﬁre. the structure, although another The Rev. Victoria Golding of New York- based Bethel Word of Faith Church Inter- T&D Staff Writer home was already fully involved in Fireﬁghters arrived within ﬁve home and a nearby wooded area national Ministries purchased the building ﬂames. minutes and found the struc- were threatened. about six years ago for $150,000. She had plans to transform it into a worship, coun- A Cordova residence was con- “Initial attack was made by way ture already had ﬂames venting No one was home at the time of seling and outreach center.sidered a complete loss after ﬁre of a rear door, Adams said. “Fire- ” through the roof. the ﬁre, authorities said. Lucky strike About two years ago, the Orangeburgleveled the single-story home fighters observed heavy smoke Crews brought the ﬂames under A cause for the ﬁre has not yet Department of Public Safety deemed the building unsafe for its ﬁre safety officers. ItWednesday morning. and ﬁre to the left, front and to the control within another 15 minutes. been determined, Adams said. placed a notice on the building identifying it Orangeburg Department of right.” However, the structure was deter- as unsafe for an interior ﬁre attack.Public Safety Capt. Mike Adams Emergency crews received the mined to be damaged beyond re- Contact the writer: rwalker@ In December 2011, the property was sold to Earl Brooks for $5, according to Orange-said firefighters arrived at the initial call around 10:45 a.m. that covery, authorities say. timesanddemocrat.com or burg County Register of Deeds records.Southwest Circle residence within a residence on the 200 block of The ﬂames were contained to 803-533-5516. Golding declined comment on the mat- ter Friday, referring all questions to Brooks. Brooks could not be reached for comment. Orangeburg City Administrator John Yow said, “We have placed phone calls and sent letters to the new owner, discussing what their plans are for securing the building. “It is currently unsafe to enter and has been posted as such. ” Man survives lightning hit on Friday the 13th The building was built in 1909 by W.C. Wolfe as a 100-room hotel. At ﬁve stories, the hotel was the second- tallest building in the state. In the early 1900s, the building was considered mod- ern. It had electric lights, an electric eleva- By RICHARD WALKER mower in the back yard of the residence for a been struck. Several years ago, a power pole tor and fans. T&D Staff Writer job they’d planned to ﬁnish Friday. was hit. A 1941 ﬁre destroyed the two upper ﬂoors of the hotel. At the time, the ﬁrst ﬂoor was As the men were huddled around the The residential area off Neeses Highway occupied by the law office of Julian S. Wolfe, On Friday the 13th, an Orangeburg man mower, clamping off a gas leak, Friday the is called “tornado alley” by those who live the Hutto and Haddock Barber Shop, and became one of an estimated 360 U.S. resi- 13th arrived. there, he said. Walker & Bowman. By 1956, the building was occupied by dents per year who are struck by lightning. “That thing rolled up pretty quick,” the An estimated 40 people per year are killed WTND Radio, a station owned by The Times Emergency crews were sent to the 200 witness said of the storm. by lightning strikes in the United States. Men and Democrat, and Dixie Home Building. block of Tecza Drive about a mile west of The witness was knocked about 10 feet are four times as likely as women to be struck Prior to E-Mart’s arrival in 1980, the building housed a Sears and a Belk Hud- Drag Strip Road around 12:30 p.m. as a storm away and the victim was sent several feet in by lightning, according to NASA. son thrift store. E-Mart closed in January front rolled in from the southwest. the opposite direction. Then came the ex- With his dad having been struck earlier, 2005. The victim was said to be conscious and plosion of thunder. his friend struck Friday and several close CHRISTOPHER HUFF/T&D ■ Contact the writer: gzaleski@timesand- Yellow caution tape blocks the sidewalk along the Middleton Street side of the old E-Mart building. talking with emergency crews before being The witness said he believes the lightning calls in between, the witness still says he democrat.com or 803-533-5551. The sidewalk was littered with debris as late as last week, although that has been cleaned up. transported to the hospital. bolt may have struck the house initially, then doesn’t expect his turn is any closer. And that was only after his Jack Russell traveled along a power line that provided a “I respect it, I’ll put it that way,” he said. terrier, perched on the prostrate man, work shed with electricity. “Lightning ain’t nothing to play with.” reluctantly allowed Emergency Medical “I think it hit him in the leg. His eyes were Services workers to approach him. rolling in his head,” the man said. “I was A witness who didn’t provide his name afraid he was paralyzed.” ■ Contact the writer: rwalker@ said he and the victim were preparing a lawn It’s not the ﬁrst time the residence has timesanddemocrat.com or 803-533-5516.

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NEWS HEADLINE WRITING Daily Over 50,000 Division ELECTING A PRESIDENTTHIRD PLACE: THE The State IT’S DISTRICT 3 SECOND AT THE DOOR ROUND Bobby Bryant GRIDLOCK? WHERE?Despite new rules and updated lots, USC game traffic ‘great’ By JOHN MONK jmonk@thestate.com traffic crunch, law enforcement officials said. IOWA NEW HAMPSHIRE But, apart from a bit of extra gridlock CAU PRIMARY Upward of 80,000 fans in more than largely due to acres of modernized park-20,000 cars, vans and SUVs converged on ing on the site of the old Farmers Market,Williams-Brice Stadium for the USCopening home football game over the nothing gummed up the normal ebullient CUSESweekend, causing the usual pre-game SEE GAME PAGE A12 GERRY MELENDEZ/GMELENDEZ@THESTATE.COM Yard signs for two District 3 candidates are up in the Rosewood TIM DOMINICK/TDOMINICK@THESTATE.COM neighborhood. WHAT THE POLLS SAY INSIDE The latest polls show that former Massachusetts Mitt Romney’s Gov. Mitt Romney is leading heading into today’s vote. Council race goes house to house A tracking poll conducted for 7 News/Suffolk Univer- sity found Romney was first with 33 percent saying he company, Bain Capital, as candidates hunt for votes was their choice. U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas was sec- ond at 20 percent. Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman was becomes an third at 13 percent, and former U.S. House Speaker issue in the the April 3 election: Dis- GET REGISTERED Newt Gingrich was fourth at 11 percent. By MINDY LUCAS mlucas@thestate.com trict 2, District 3 and a city- Another poll, conducted for WMUR/University of New race: Did it wide seat. The District 3 Live in the city of Co- Hampshire, also shows Romney out front, with Paul create jobs or Columbia’s District 3 seat has the most crowded lumbia and want to second and Huntsman and former U.S. Sen. Rick San- City Council race is start- field, with candidates vote? March 3 is the torum of Pennsylvania tied for third. kill them? A5 ing to heat up in the com- jockeying for name recog- last day to register. pressed campaign season nition and early voter Forms must be post- ABOUT THE NEW HAMPSHIRE PRIMARY Election briefs, before April’s city commitments. marked before or on elections. Isgett, who has been March 3 or dropped off The New Hampshire primary is a different animal A5 “People have just now knocking on doors and at- by March 2 at the Rich- than the Iowa caucuses. started to get engaged in tending neighborhood land County Office of In New Hampshire, voters don’t gather, listen to a this race,” said Jenny Is- meetings since October, Elections and Voter speech and determine which candidate will get their ON THE WEB gett, an attorney and one said she was only now support. Instead, they go to a polling place and cast a Registration, 2020 More political of four candidates run- starting to get yard signs ballot. Republican and Independents can vote; Demo- ning for the seat being va- out in greater numbers. Hampton St. Applica- tions are available at crats cannot. coverage, Andy cated by Belinda Gergel. “It’s been a busy week,” One thing to watch: Who do independents support? “People are starting to she said. “We’re staying that office, at local Shain’s S.C. Do they buoy Paul, as they did in Iowa, and Huntsman, take an interest and are busy 24-7.” libraries or online at Primary Blog at as polls suggest they will in New Hampshire? That’s asking some good She’s not alone. In fact, scvotes.org or important because the S.C. primary is open, meaning questions.” rcgov.us/departments/ thestate.com independents and even Democrats can vote here. Three seats are open in SEE COUNCIL PAGE A6 elections. Polls open as early as 7 a.m., with the last polling places closing at 8 p.m.

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NEWS HEADLINE WRITING Daily Over 50,000 Division Bill would ban chirpySECOND PLACE: greeting Sometimes, it’s not The Post and Courier a great day in S.C. Bob Kinney BY YVONNE WENGER ywenger@postandcourier.com COLUMBIA — A couple of state Democrats want to can Gov. Nikki Haley’s “It’s a great day in South Caro- lina” greeting for making bureaucrats out to be pollyannas. The Republican governor’s widely parodied idea to market South Caro- lina with a cheery greeting would be outlawed under a bill by Reps. Wen- Rodricus never had a chance dell Gilliard of Charleston and John King of Rock Hill. “My feelings on that are, why would you want to say, ‘It’s a great day in2-year old treated with disdain, then worse, by his father South Carolina,’ when we’re still in EDITOR’S NOTE: This story is based on ing there to say ‘Bless you,’ ” said Huger, a showered him with affection. double-digit unemployment, people sworn testimony from last week’s homi- cide by child abuse trial of Roger Williams. close friend of the family. He loved to eat grits, or “gits,” as he would If only his father, Roger Anthony Williams, had felt the same way. Instead, his indiffer- are still losing their homes, the home- say. If he was hungry, he would get what he ence would snuff out his son’s loving spirit less population in the state of South BY NATALIE CAULA wanted. Rodricus started walking and talk- before it ever had a chance to blossom. ncaula@postandcourier.com ing by the time was 8 months old. He loved Williams seemed hesitant to fill the role of Carolina is still on the increase?” Gil- to do things for himself and be a little helper being Rodricus’ father, according to Wash- liard said. Rodricus Williams loved to sing “Jesus to others. ington, who struck up a relationship with Loves Me.” It became a ritual in the morn- “In the morning when we’d head to school, Williams after meeting him at a mall in 2006. Haley, saying that some might find ings at the Mount Pleasant home of Connie Huger, who started watching the toddler he always tried to take his stroller down the steps. He’d climb in and strap himself in,” his They lasted less than a year as a couple, break- ing up when Williams got angry at Washing- the idea “hokey,” asked government when he was about 5 months old to help his mother, Shaneka Washington, said. ton for wanting to go out with her friends on PROVIDED mother out. He constantly told people he loved them, “He could not sneeze without someone be- from strangers at the mall to his family, who Please see RODRICUS, Page A8 Rodricus Williams told everyone he loved them. Please see GREETING, Page 2B

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NEWS HEADLINE WRITING Daily Over 50,000 DivisionFIRST PLACE: The Post and Courier ELECTION 2012 Beth Harrison OBAMA ENCORE PRESIDENT DEFEATS ROMNEY WITH SHARP FOCUS ON BATTLEGROUND STATES PGA CHAMPIONSHIP Teed off about rain?Politics as stormy as weather I Find out how weather might affect the PGA Championship f rain continues at the Ocean Course, here’sObama, Christie tour Sandy’s wreckage Part of a home rests what might be ahead for the PGA Championship: upside-down Monday finishInside BY DAVID ESPO and JULIE PACE helicoptered with Gov. Chris Chris- tie over washed-out roads, flooded in Seaside Heights, N.J., The PGA Champion- ship has been forced to aHow to help. A4 Associated Press homes, boardwalks bobbing in the on Wednesday, Monday finish three times ocean and, in Seaside Heights, a fire after Super- in the past 36 years (2005,Local volunteers BRIGANTINE, N.J. — President still burning after ruining about storm Sandy 1986 and 1976).pitching in. A4 Barack Obama soberly toured the eight structures. made landfall 54 holesGuard delivers destruction wrought by Superstorm Back on the ground, the president there Monday The PGA has never beenaid in Hoboken. Sandy on Wednesday in the compa- introduced one local woman to “my evening. cut to 54 holes since goingA5 ny of New Jersey’s Republican gover- guy Craig Fugate.” In a plainspo- The rest of to stroke play in 1958. nor and assured victims “we will not ken demonstration of the power of the home satSandy roundup, quit” until cleanup and recovery are the presidency, Obama instructed away from Suspended playby the numbers. Play is suspended often complete. Six days before their hard- the man at the head of the Federal its original due to weather, with play-A5 fought election, rival Mitt Romney Emergency Management Agency, spot and in ers forced to play more muted criticism of Obama as he a 7,500-employee federal agency, the middle than 18 holes in one day.Locals ready for barnstormed battleground Florida. to “make sure she gets the help she of a street.NYC marathon. Forsaking partisan politics for Read more about howC1 WADE SPEES/STAFF the third day in a row, the president Please see SANDY, Page A3 JULIO CORTEZ/AP the rain will affect the Spectators slog their way around the Ocean Course during the rains that dampened Wednesday’s prac- tournament on C1. tice at the PGA Championship on Kiawah Island.